You searched for: “electroconvulsive treatment”
electroconvulsive therapy, electroconvulsive treatment, ECT (s); electroconvulsive therapies, electroconvulsive treatments, ECTs (pl) (nouns)
1. The induction of a brief convulsion by passing an electric current through the brain for the treatment of affective disorders; especially, in patients resistant to psychoactive-drug therapy.

Electroconvulsive therapy is primarily used when rapid definitive response is required for either medical or psychiatric reasons; such as, for a patient who is extremely suicidal and when the risks of other treatments outweigh the risk of ECT.

2. The use of an electric shock to produce convulsions.

There is a use for this type of treatment with specific types of mental illness; especially, if acute depression and suicidal intentions are present.

3. The use of controlled, measured doses of electric shock to induce convulsions.

Such convulsions can sometimes treat clinical depressions which can not be treated with medication.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 26) therap-, -therapeutic[s], -therapeutically, -therapy, -therapies, -therapist (page 5) tra-, tract-, trac-, -tractive, -traction, -tracting, treat-, trai- (page 4) vuls-, vell- (page 2)